New York Jets officials traveled to California on Tuesday to meet with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, after receiving permission to speak with him.
The move indicates that Rodgers plans to continue his career in the NFL, but possibly not with Green Bay, where he has played for 18 seasons. Jets owner Woody Johnson, Coach Robert Saleh, and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett were among those who met with Rodgers.
The Jets made their only Super Bowl appearance in 1969, while the Packers drafted Rodgers in 2005, and he earned four league MVP awards and one Super Bowl title over his 18 seasons with the team.
What led to the possible trade of Aaron Rodgers from the Packers to the Jets?
It is unclear what the Jets would offer in this Aaron Rodgers trade, but they are seen as a team with a collection of young talent in need of a solution at quarterback. The Packers are expected to promote Jordan Love, a first-round draft pick in 2020 if they are to trade Rodgers.
Rodgers is under contract and, if he is traded, the Packers would take a $40.3 million salary cap hit next season. They could split this amount by trading him after June 1. Rodgers recently emerged from a four-day “darkness retreat” to help him decide his next move. The Raiders have also been mentioned as a possible destination for him.
If Rodgers goes to the Jets, it would mirror what happened in 2008 when the Jets acquired Brett Favre from Green Bay. At that time, Favre was the aging star who had been considering retirement, and Rodgers was the understudy waiting for his chance.
Now, the roles are reversed, and the Packers have to be involved in any trade as Rodgers is under contract. If he retires, he would forfeit $59.5 million guaranteed to him for next season under the deal he signed last year. If traded, the Packers would take a $40.3 million salary cap hit next season.
How does Aaron Rodgers’ career compare to Tom Brady’s?
Rodgers’ and Brady’s career paths might experience similar trajectories. The potential trade follows a 2022 season in which the Packers struggled as Rodgers was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play. The team finished with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs, with one of their losses being a 27-10 home defeat at the hands of the Jets. Rodgers played through injuries and started every game but threw 12 interceptions, the most since his starting debut in 2008, to go with 26 touchdown passes.
If Rodgers retires, he could be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in five years in the same class as quarterback Tom Brady.
However, Rodgers may extend his career by finding a new team, as Brady did with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
